Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the food sector: Effects of corporate responsibility

The number of firms in the food and agriculture sector that have corporate responsibility (CR) strategies and corresponding reporting is growing rapidly. Many aim, amongst other objectives, to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The question we address here is to what extent such CR measures actually have the potential to significantly affect overall GHG emissions from the agriculture and food sector. We analyse the CR strategies of a sample of 40 firms and from this we provide an assessment of how corporate responsibility addresses GHG emissions. This is achieved in three steps. First, we assess to what extent CR activities are impacting on relevant emission sources. Second, we analyse their current reach and ambition in terms of change envisaged and their contribution to climate protection as a global public good. Third, we consider the drivers behind the development of corporate responsibility to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in order to estimate the longevity and likely future ambition of these programmes. In addition, we identify firm characteristics that are correlated with strong corporate climate responsibility

Legumes in Cropping Systems

This book is a contribution to the debate and knowledge for the rebalancing of farming and food using legumes. The main aim is to help people who are involved in developing cropping systems: the decision makers of today and today's students who are the decision makers of tomorrow. It is aimed at all relevant decision makers: farmers, professionals who support innovation in farming, and the policy community in its widest sense. It contains 13 chapters describing various aspects of the use of legumes (including grain and feed legumes) in European cropping systems. Each chapter provides deep insight into the relevant literature to support understanding rather than a comprehensive academic review. The aim is to empower the reader with insights and understanding of the underlying processes that influence cropping system development

Preface

Non peer reviewe

Evaluation des Bereichs Forschung und Entwicklung im Bundesprogramm Ökologischer Landbau

In 2010, the BLE commissioned an evaluation of the Federal Organic Farming Scheme (BÖL), running since 2001. This paper reports on the approach taken in the evaluation of its research component, selected findings, and recommendations. An impact model of the BÖL scheme was developed to analyse how the various measures could contribute to the scheme’s overall aims and objectives. Data from the BLE research project database were analysed to assess the distribution of resources over time by topic and by research provider. At project level, a random selection of 83 projects was reviewed by external experts, including both scientists and other stakeholders to assess their quality and relevance. An online survey of 104 project leaders and interviews with 30 sector stakeholders and 12 BLE employees were carried out and the theme identification and project selection processes were analysed to evaluate whether the programme management contribute was in line with programme goals. The overall conclusions of the evaluation were then reviewed by external experts. The evaluation concludes that financed projects resulted in a compendium of easily accessible results. The research is relevant to the sector and this is one of the greatest strengths of the programme. However, the consistently high allocation of resources to crops and soil themes is noted as a weakness. A more strategic approach to the identification of research targets and to the development of impact from research outputs with appropriate measures at both programme and project level is recommended

Evaluation des Bereichs Forschung und Entwicklung im Bundesprogramm Ökologischer Landbau

Im Jahr 2010 wurde von der BLE eine Evaluation des seit 2001 bestehenden Bundesprogramms Ökologischer Landbau (BÖL) in Auftrag gegeben. Ziel der 2010 gestarteten Evaluation zum FuE-Bereich war es, die Relevanz der Forschung, ihre Wirksamkeit sowie die Effizienz des Mitteleinsatzes zu prüfen, zu bewerten und Empfehlungen zur Optimierung zu unterbreiten. Den Rahmen lieferten eine Analyse der Maßnahmen und Ziele des BÖL und ein daraus entwickeltes Wirkungsmodell. Neben einer Auswertung von Programmdaten der BLE wurden rund 80 Projekte durch externe Wissenschaftler und Praktiker begutachet, eine Online-Befragung von Projektleitern und Interviews mit Sektorakteuren, Mitarbeitern der BLE und externen Gutachtern durchgeführt. Die Evaluation kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass aus insgesamt mehr als 500 Einzelprojekten ein umfangreiches Kompendium an leicht zugänglichen Ergebnissen entstanden ist, dessen Relevanz für den Sektor eine der größten Stärken des Programms darstellt. Aufgrund der Analyse der Prozesse von Themenfindung und Projektauswahl wird empfohlen mit Blick in die Zukunft eine klare Programmstrategie explizit darzustellen und auf Programm- als auch auf Projektebene konsequent entsprechende Maßnahmen einzusetzen

The Evaluation of the German Programme for Organic Food and Farming Research: Results and pointers for the future

In 2001, the German Federal Government established the Federal Scheme for Organic Agriculture (BÖL). The goal was to improve the professionalism of organic farming in Germany; to support sustained growth in production of organic food; and to stimulate a corresponding growth in the market for organic food. The paper presents results of an evaluation carried out by an international team in 2012. Our evaluation focused in particular on all research initiated and completed in period 2003 to 2010. The overall aim of the evaluation was to assess the relevance and impact of the research in relation to the BÖL’s goals, the effectiveness of the deployment of the research funding resources, and the efficiency of programme management. Recommendations relate to continuation of this research programme and how an extended programme might be improved. These are relevant to other applied research programmes targeted at the development of specific sectors

Grain legume production and use in European agricultural systems

ISBN(print) 978-0-12-812419-2; Editor DL SparksThere is a great demand for high-protein materials for livestock feed in Europe and European agriculture has a deficit of about 70% high-protein materials of which 87% is met by imported soybean and soy meal. This reflects the fact that grain legumes are currently under represented in European agriculture and produced on only 1.5% of the arable land in Europe compared with 14.5%on aworldwide basis. Several grain legumes have the potential to replace at least some of the soya currently used in the diets of monogastric animals, ruminants, and fish. There are also opportunities for greater use of legumes in new foods. Here we review the contribution of ecosystem services by grain legumes in European agriculture startingwith provisioningservices in termsof food and feed and moving on to the contribution theymake to both regulating and supporting serviceswhich are in part due to the diversity which these crops bring to cropping systems. We explore the need to understand grain legume production on the time scale of a rotation rather than a cropping season in order to value and manage the agronomic challenges of weed, pests, and diseases alongside themaintenance or improvement of soil structure, soil organic matter, and nutrient cycling. A review of policy interventions to support grain legumes reveals that until very recently these have failed to make a difference in Europe. We contrast the European picture with the interventions that have allowed the development of grain legume production in both Canada and Australia. Whether farmers choose to grow more legumes will depend on market opportunities, the development of supply chains, and policy support aswell as technicalimprovementsof grainlegumeproductionsuchas breeding of new varieties and management development to improve yield stability. However, to really increase the production of grain legumes in Europe, the issues are far more wide reaching than agronomy or subsidy and require a fundamental rethinking of value chains to move grain legumes from being niche products to mainstream commodities.Peer reviewe

A framework for a European network for a systematic environmental impact assessment of genetically modified organisms (GMO)

The assessment of the impacts of growing genetically modified (GM) crops remains a major political and scientific challenge in Europe. Concerns have been raised by the evidence of adverse and unexpected environmental effects and differing opinions on the outcomes of environmental risk assessments (ERA). The current regulatory system is hampered by insufficiently developed methods for GM crop safety testing and introduction studies. Improvement to the regulatory system needs to address the lack of well designed GM crop monitoring frameworks, professional and financial conflicts of interest within the ERA research and testing community, weaknesses in consideration of stakeholder interests and specific regional conditions, and the lack of comprehensive assessments that address the environmental and socio economic risk assessment interface. To address these challenges, we propose a European Network for systematic GMO impact assessment (ENSyGMO) with the aim directly to enhance ERA and post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) of GM crops, to harmonize and ultimately secure the long-term socio-political impact of the ERA process and the PMEM in the EU. These goals would be achieved with a multi-dimensional and multi-sector approach to GM crop impact assessment, targeting the variability and complexity of the EU agro-environment and the relationship with relevant socio-economic factors. Specifically, we propose to develop and apply methodologies for both indicator and field site selection for GM crop ERA and PMEM, embedded in an EU-wide typology of agro-environments. These methodologies should be applied in a pan-European field testing network using GM crops. The design of the field experiments and the sampling methodology at these field sites should follow specific hypotheses on GM crop effects and use state-of-the art sampling, statistics and modelling approaches. To address public concerns and create confidence in the ENSyGMO results, actors with relevant specialist knowledge from various sectors should be involved

Progress in upscaling Miscanthus biomass production for the European bio-economy with seed-based hybrids

Funded by UK's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Grant Number: LK0863 BBSRC strategic programme Grant on Energy Grasses & Bio-refining. Grant Number: BBS/E/W/10963A01 OPTIMISC. Grant Number: FP7-289159 WATBIO. Grant Number: FP7-311929 Innovate UK/BBSRC ‘MUST’. Grant Number: BB/N016149/1Peer reviewedPublisher PD